


Tennis balls and Static electricity

by Mousekins



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Ann and Shiho are dating and also mentioned like once I'm sorry, Ann co are mentioned, Dragon!Ryuji, Half-dragon!Ryuji, I spent all day writing this instead of wrapping presents lmao, M/M, Ryuji hoards tennis balls and there's nothing you can do or say to stop me, Ryuji is a half-dragon, The gore isn't entirely graphic but the warning is there anyway, brief mentions of Ryuji's mom, it'a like 92 words off being 9k and it hurts, the poison for kuzco-kuzco's poison, this is the longest thing I've written in one sitting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-21
Updated: 2018-12-21
Packaged: 2019-09-24 06:19:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,908
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17095418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mousekins/pseuds/Mousekins
Summary: There isn't a thing Akira wouldn't do to save the village he had grown up in. Except maybe kill the cute dragon boy holed up on the mountain-side.AU where Ryuji is a half-dragon boy and is still as dumb and playful as a human [Inspired by the many other dragon Ryuji fics on here, thank you, this AU is my lifeblood].





	Tennis balls and Static electricity

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally going to be multi-chaptered but I figured to keep it all as one really long story so I didn't forget what happened. It ended up flowing a little better when I didn't separate it out. Though it does kill a bit of the tension orz ... I hope you enjoy anyway!

This wouldn’t be the first dangerous job that Akira had taken up, especially not to ensure the safety of the small village he had grown up in. The King had made a specific request to slay the creature that lived high up in the mountain tops, it was said to have been the cause of the recent storms lately. Lightning would crackle through the air some nights, accompanied by heavy rains and leathery wings beating down harsh winds, every sudden motion sounding out thunder-claps that seemed to shake the valley around them.  
  


He had only witnessed the dragon once, and it was enough to send anxious sparks through his body, stiffening his legs and making him all the more nervous to enter the cave from where the dragon had emerged from. Static clung to his clothing, causing his hairs to stand on end as sparks crackle in the air. Even with thick padded clothing, he felt woefully unprepared to face the creature within.  
  


His black cape helped shield him in the darkness of the cave, only soft breathing echoed from the deepest chamber of the winding tunnel. He had spent weeks studying the dragons patterns, how it slept, how it hunted, the nights it was most active- it seemed to thrive on nights where storms were predicted. After every storm there was a night of rest, and as if the God’s themselves had sought his quest as noble, a storm had predictably conjured once more. The clear skies of the after storm would offer enough moonlight for him to strike. He gripped his stake- a sensible option to wield a sharp wooden object over a metallic one, he didn’t wish to be electrocuted- and slinked further into the cave.  
  


The breathing was louder now, deeper as the creature shifted in its sleep. Akira moves closer- only to stop a pace too short. The figure before him was not of a large and powerful dragon like he had seen that night, though the features remained. Scales tinted in iridescent greens and golds, threading through them was white as though electricity itself had blessed them. Two perked horns rose out of the figures head, a soft mop of yellow hair resting there, nestled up in leathered wings and sharp claws.   
  


It was a boy, sleeping soundly, his breaths sounding louder in the echoes of the cave. For the first time in a while he doubted himself and his cause, this was just a mere kid, not a mighty dragon that he had sought to slay. He sheathed his weapon before moving any closer the soft glimmer of scales only illuminated by the cracks in the ceiling, moonlight shimmering down into the cave and highlighting the patches of scales littering the boys body.  
  


Akira can’t help the soft gasp that escapes him, causing him to slap a hand over his own mouth- the boy’s softly toned frame curled up on himself, only his tail idly flicking as he dreams. The dragon boy shifts, his tail flicking out in his sleep and catching Akira’s side- tumbling him over in the dimly-lit cave, crashing him down into a nearby pot, and startling the boy awake. At first a roar and a spit of electricity that narrowly misses him, a claw coming down into Akira’s legs and the dazzling yellow eyes that glare at him. He raises his hands to surrender and the dragon boy tilts his head- confused as to why the intruder isn’t fighting back, and yet digging in his claws to make it obvious he’s not going to let him escape.  
  


“I mean no harm.” Akira manages to say, his voice thankfully unwavering as the pain in his leg settles in, warm blood coating the cold claws digging into it and causing his expression to shift, briefly, into pain. The dragon startles back, a soft growl escaping its mouth as he licks the blood off his claws and eyes Akira’s leg for a split moment, seemingly startling himself that he’d injured him and that its not his own blood, despite so purposefully digging his claws in.  
  


It would have made Akira laugh in any other circumstance, but the almost-laughter is cut short by the same claws tearing through his cape. The piece of fabric fluttering to the floor, and before Akira can draw his weapon again to defend himself, it’s picked up and carefully placed onto the wound, soft pressure in an attempt to stifle the flow.  
  


“ _ Humans… _ ” The Dragon breathes out, seemingly tired from the interaction and being so rudely awakened. “ _ You’re all effin’ stupid, y’know? _ ” He sighs, deeply, and Akira is too taken aback by the half-kin actually talking to reply to the question. He recovers not too soon after as the Dragon half-glares at him for suddenly being so silent, wary that he may try to bring harm to him again after getting so close.  
  


“You’ve… done this before, haven’t you?” It was fairly obvious that the Dragon had performed this soft of medical care before, the care and attention to the wound, the way he purposefully used the palms as to not scratch over the fabric. The Dragon nods at him, a claw rising to rub at the back of his own neck.   
  


“ _ I could heal it, but it’s kinda gross. _ ” The statement piques Akira’s curiosity, his mind rummaging around for any information that suggested dragons could legitimately heal wounds. He’d mostly studied up on fighting and hunting information, how to defend himself and heal his own wounds, what herbs to prepare and how to prepare them if he got clawed- or worse, electrocuted. “ _ I’d have to lick it. _ ” The Dragon states, its voice wavering oddly like it was something to be embarrassed about. “ _ It is embarrassing, not so much when I’m a legit Dragon-- well I am a legit dragon right now but- I have a tiny tongue and- _ ” Akira can’t help the little laugh that escapes him.  
  


The Dragon seems awfully pissed off about him laughing.  
  


“No I get it; licking sounds gross.” Relief flashes over the Dragon’s face for a moment before it decides on something, as though a cog twisted into place and set its next series of movements in place. it licks its hand, firmly coating it in saliva and placing it back over the cloth- the cloth absorbs some of the liquid and as it does the wound  _ stings _ . Unpleasantly so. He winces and his leg tenses for a short moment, the shot of pain far too apparently for the hunter’s liking.   
  


So much for saliva being too gross.  
  


“ _ Sorry. _ ”   
  


“I’ve had worse.” There’s a pause in the conversation as he focuses on softly massaging at the wound. Akira closing his eyes to focus on dimming the stinging sensation in his leg.  
  


“ _ Ryuji. _ ”   
  


“What?” His eyes open, confused.  
  


“ _ ‘S’my name. _ ” Akira hadn’t expected the Dra-  _ Ryuji _ \- to give out his name so freely. Most creatures wouldn’t dare pass their name down to humans, and would only give names if they deemed the human worthy enough to speak it. Granted, a lot of creatures names were unpronounceable in human tongue, and they would often refuse to give the translation. Human tongue was basic and unworthy of translating to apparently, and more often than not they would require great tests of strength or wits for the creatures to be willing to speak in such a ‘primitive tongue’.  
  


He replies in kind, “Akira.” and Ryuji smiles at him, grateful for the light amount of trust placed in him. Flashing sharp teeth as soft sparks seem to fly out of his nose like a living sparkler- a sign of true happiness from an electricity elemental. It felt strange to Akira to see a creature so happy, usually by now they’d have left him for dead.  
  


The claw removes itself from his leg and despite the wound appearing healed, when he attempts to stand, he finds himself being caught by Ryuji. “ _ Hey man, be careful, your leg may be healed on the outside but it’s still healin’ on the inside. _ ” Ryuji seems to ponder something over in his mind before he tugs Akira closer, earning a little yelp from the hunter as the leathered wings encapsulate him. “ _ Sorry but, I’m makin’ you stay here tonight. It’s dangerous to travel down alone with injured limbs. _ ” Wisdom and empathy laces the Dragon’s voice, and Akira can only nod. He’s unwilling to fight back against a creature that’s shown him genuine hospitality, even if they did have a rocky start.  
  


Ryuji rests his head back down onto the makeshift pillow, created out of the skin of some beast. It was coarse but warm-  _ wool _ \- definitely one of the sheep from the village, another reason people feared for their lives. With the Dragon being so close by to steal livestock, it was no wonder the village folk would create tales of Ryuji snatching children to eat them. Akira felt the soft pangs of betrayal seeping in, if the Dragon continued to make a fuss outside then they’d all know he hadn’t killed him, but to kill him would be disrespectful of the hospitality and kindness the Dragon had offered to him.   
  


A purr brings him out of his thoughts. Ryuji was happily curled around him, his tail and wings blanketing and wrapped across his body. Of course, Ryuji was reptilian, he was cold-blooded, so naturally he’d be seeking any kind of warmth. The cave itself was warmer than Akira had expected it to be, but to be so close to an actual source of warmth must have been heaven. He supposes that this can be his payback for Ryuji taking care of him, and rather steadily drifts off to sleep in the steadily-warming embrace of his new-found friend.  
  


It’s only when he awakens in the morning that he realises the direness of the situation he’s found himself in. If he doesn’t come down with something to say he had slain the dragon then those in the village would assume he had died, if Ryuji dared fly out of the cave after he said he’d slain him then it would only result in fear and the potential banishment from the village. If he said that he couldn’t defeat the Dragon, then they would simply hire somebody else and Ryuji may actually die at their hands… granted, most people wouldn’t dare traverse to a dragon’s lair- especially one who could  _ breathe electricity _ .   
  


He finds himself scanning Ryuji’s face as he sleeps, the odd placement of scales, the softly-closed eyes, the little fang peeking out of his mouth as he breathes carefully through his nose. Evenly-breathed, utterly peaceful. The light from the cave ceiling accentuating the iridescent gleam of his scales, glowing through his hair and highlighting the horns. His wings were white underneath with shimmering green on top, the same white streaks littered down, scattering across the scales. He hardly notices that Ryuji had awaken until he hears the embarrassed laughter of the boy.  
  


“ _ Like what you see? _ ” Well, Akira really couldn’t say that he didn’t like it, Ryuji was certainly a beautiful Dragon. A moment later he feels a claw on his shoulder as the other untangles himself apologetically- realising that curling up to sleep wasn’t a human tradition. “ _ Y’seem troubled man, what’sup? _ ”   
  


“You know why I was sent here, right?” A pang of guilt lurches his gut as Ryuji’s face falls, the bright yellow in his eyes dimming down, eyebrows knitting themselves together. Solemnly the Dragon nods- he knows perfectly well why Akira was sent into the cave, sent to meet him. They sit in silence for a while, Ryuji’s claws idly playing with the fabric of his shirt, his tail-end flicking as he thinks deeply.  
  


It’s strange to see the other in such deep-thought, his eyes almost seemed to glaze over as they dart around in search of an answer.   
  


“ _ Y’could stay here… _ ” Ryuji suggests after a moment of thought, and just as Akira is about to protest that they’d just send more people- “ _ Then we just kill any asshole who wanders in _ .” Of all the things he expected to do when he got to this cave, one of them definitely wasn’t chastising a Dragon-boy and explaining why they couldn’t just kill people. “ _ Fiiine, _ ” he drawls “ _ No killin’ I get it, damn… _ ” The claw returns to the back of Ryuji’s neck, scratching it as he continues to think.  
  


“I could say that I’d killed you, but it’d mean you wouldn’t be able to come out of your cave, at all.” He sighs, and Ryuji immediately declines that offer, saying that if he couldn’t fly it wasn’t worth it. Somebody might come and check to make sure he was dead, and then what? Akira hated to admit that Ryuji had a point. He suddenly clicks his fingers, realising something. “I was sent up here to kill a  _ dragon _ .” The word  _ kill _ makes Ryuji flinch a little, and Akira shoots him an apologetic look.  
  


“ _ And I happen to be a dragon. _ ” Ryuji says, sighing into his arms as he curls up into himself. Akira promptly shakes his head.   
  


“You’re a  _ half-dragon _ , and I wasn’t sent here to.. Quieten a half-dragon.” Ryuji knits his brows together, confusion etching onto his face at the statement, though he can sense the gratitude in not using kill again. “I’m making the contract seem literal, you’re not a fully-fledged Dragon, therefore you’re not my duty to harm.” Ryuji only expresses more confusion, a hurt expression only seeming to express that is  _ is _ a Dragon though.  
  


Akira tries a different approach. “You look like a normal person, aside from your wings, horns and tail-”  
  
“ _ And scales, and eyes, and claws- _ ”  
  


“Not the point, you don’t look like a conventional dragon. I was sent here to hunt a Dragon. Not a half-kin.” It seems to spark a reaction in Ryuji, who seems to click onto it a little better, thankfully.  
  


“ _ Ooohhh, I see. You’re using my appearance to tell them to eff off, right? _ ” Akira nods, it’s not quite what he means, but it’s close enough and he’s unwilling to explain it a third (or potentially a fourth) time to the kin. “ _ Though… that still doesn’t really solve the issue of other people coming to kill me, huh? _ ” Ryuji sounded dejected, and it caused a pang of pain to course through his chest. Ah, right, that was a problem. Even if Akira did go back to the village to decline the contract, people would still be fearful, and they would no doubt send somebody else into the cave to kill him.   
  


“Nobody would want to kill you if they knew how nice you were.” Akira mumbles, mostly to himself, and Ryuji scoffs a little at the notion. “What?” He hadn’t expected the Dragon to hear it but Ryuji shoots him a look.  
  


“ _ I could kill every invading army for you humans and you’d still live in fear of me. I could walk your elderly to the bakers and they’d still cower from my touches. Hell, I can’t even move away because this was  _ **_my_ ** _ home. _ ” Ryuji seems startled for a moment, as though he’d accidentally revealed a great secret, before his expression melts away into something more hurt. “ _ You humans moved in a couple centuries ago accordin’ to mom, and you guys have been trying to drive us out for years. _ ” Akira feels another pang of guilt flower in his chest.  
  


“I’m sorry.” It’s all he can bring himself to say. He had known about the history of the village and the invasions of the dragons nearby. How they had driven off most of them-- wait,  _ mom? _ “I don’t want to sound insensitive but, you mentioned your mom..?” Ryuji’s eyes seem to light up at that.  
  


“ _ She’s the greatest dragon I’ve ever known- Well, of course she is, she’s my mom. She’s gone away for a bit to search for food outside the village, and she’ll be back. Man if she finds out the village has been sending people up here to kill me she’d probably fry the place down-- uh, so maybe let’s not tell her that, I don’t want you to get hurt-- _ ” The last part appears to have been a slip of the tongue, or at least that’s what he could gather given how Ryuji seemed to look like a deer noticing a bowman. “ _ I-I mean, after all the effort of keepin’ you safe up until now it’d be a waste of time, and-- not that I dislike spending time with you-- _ ”  
  


“It’s okay, I know what you mean.” The Dragon’s face screams relief at that. Obviously the Dragon wasn’t used to expressing his feelings very often. “Do you get lonely up here?” Akira scoots a little closer to the other, pressing his arm against the Dragons to share a little bit of his warmth, and unsurprisingly Ryuji unconsciously leans in to the warm touch.   
  


“ _ Yeah, sometimes. Mom always prattled on about getting a mate and moving out with them to make a nest, but it’s kinda hard to do that when everyone’s out for your blood and you’re an outcast from the flock itself. _ ” Ryuji lets out a deep sigh. “ _ It feels nice talking to you though, I don’t know man, it’s like we were destined to meet or some shit. _ ” Akira laughs at this, if they were, it would be a weird twist of fate.  
  


“I should head back down, if only to make it known I’m not dead yet.” Ryuji nods, a little reluctantly. His expression saddens as Akira stands to leave, the wound having healed over just fine- though he does spot the spark of pride as he sees the wound fully healed. “Don’t worry, I’ll be back. I’ll just tell them that the cave is deeper than expected and that I may need more supplies and tools.”   
  


Ryuji perks up at the notion that he’ll be coming back and suddenly flips over to grab something shiny off the floor, upon being handed it Akira notices it as one of Ryuji’s scales. It’s hard and lightweight, thick enough to not be penetrated and seemed to buzz through his fingertips with energy.   
  


“ _ So you don’t forget to come back, I guess. _ ” Akira places it in his pocket and nods, a soft smile twitching up on his lips as he notices the gentle pink tinting Ryuji’s cheeks. “ _ D-do you need help out? _ ” He shakes his head but thanks the Dragon for the offer anyway, and with a soft parting hug, Akira is gone.

 

\--  
  


It’s not long after he reaches the village that he’s swarmed with people asking him about his latest quest and his summons to the King. He calms the crowd and informs them that the cave is deep and the creature within is larger than he expected, he needs to be better prepared if he’s to make progress on slaying the creature.  
  


His heart hurts to lie to them, but his chest hurts more to think of Ryuji in pain.   
  


He manages to get home unbothered enough, a letter posted to him- his summonings for when he gets back- and he decides that he’ll do that later. He places the letter down onto the table and decidedly makes himself some food, a part of him idly wondering if Ryuji would need to eat soon too. He seemed like he hadn’t eaten in quite some time. He lights the fire for the stove and sighs to himself, mildly disappointed that he’s already worrying about the Dragon despite being nowhere near his company.  
  


The words of the dragon run through his head a few times, his mom had gone hunting, he was basically alone up there- ah, he should’ve asked him about the storms and the light show. No doubt Ryuji was only doing that to keep people away from his cave… Akira had noticed the lack of skeletons, the cave was devoid of any actual death- aside from the sheepskin pillow and bed.   
  


So it was all a front, presumably.   
  


He stirs the stew over the fire before placing the lid over it and allowing it to, well, stew. Materials for curry were hard to come by these days, trade had been bad in the kingdom due to the threat of the dragon coming out of his cave to raid the carts- but there was no sign of any of the materials being inside Ryuji’s cave. It all just seemed too convenient. Blame the dragon for all of their problems and that was that- kill the dragon, kill the problems.  
  


Akira rubs his temples, an odd feeling stirring within him as he feels the buzz of the scale spread through him. His cheeks turn red at the parting gift- it wasn’t like Dragons to simply give away their scales for free, they were much too proud for that. 

Ryuji really  _ was _ a half-kin, huh? His human side often came out a lot more than his Dragon side. The flashes of electricity and the heart-splitting roar had taught him that much. Ryuji could easily threaten somebody’s life and it was easy how people could be scared of such piercing yellow eyes and those large fangs.   
  


He leaves the pot to simmer on a smouldering fire until the sun is casting longer shadows, and promptly serves himself a large helping with lightly boiled rice. He muses that the warmth of the curry would no doubt be perfectly suited for Ryuji’s tastes, and muses longer on the fact that the dragon-kin had been on his mind for the better part of the day. It’s not long after he eats the food and washes his dish that he realises that maybe he ought to reply to those summons.  
  


It’s later in the evening when he arrives to the castle, one of the guards accompanying him to the King’s chambers. The king watches him like a kestrel hovers over a mouse as he kneels before him.  
  


“Your highness, I have come with an update on the contract you have issued to me.” Akira states, his head low and his heart anxious with how to proceed from there. It would be difficult to say ‘oh by the way the dragon is totally chill and actually nursed me to health after he hurt me haha funny that ain’t it’ to the  _ King _ of all people, but maybe he could stall for some time. Spread the word through the town that the Dragon wasn’t a dragon, maybe just some homeless man or something.  
  


“You may rise.” The order is curt, and Akira follows suitably. “Tell me more of your discoveries, and make it quick.”  
  


Akira bows before he speaks. “Certainly. The Dragon’s cave is deeper and far darker than anticipated, I will require to better prepare myself for my inevitable meeting with the beast. It would be unwise to take it down without proper planning.” The King seems to mull over his words, his fingers lightly tapping on the sides of the throne.  
  


“Very well. You have until the day after the next storm to kill this threat on our lands, lest I deem you incapable of the task.” The king eyes him, malice evident in his tone. “You understand what happens if you fail, correct?”  _ Banishment _ at best, death at worst. Right now however, the prior option didn’t seem too bad.  
  


“I understand, your highness.”   
  


“Very well, you are dismissed.”  
  


Akira bows once more, and promptly leaves the summoning hall. He had never felt more relieved to be outside in the open and not within the castle- with that thought in mind, he jogs back home, scoops some of the hot curry into a smaller pot, grabbed a wooden spoon, and headed quietly back into the mountain-side. It was no doubt a suicide mission, and he’d done it so quickly on a whim that he hadn’t brought any of his usual tools with him.  
  


He’d even forgotten his weapon in his carelessness.  
  


The soft breathing of the Dragon boy brings him out of his thoughts, reminding him that this time his visit was for different reasons- and he’s almost ashamed that it barely took him a day to come back. His heart flutters in his chest as the Dragon moves, electricity crackling in the air, as if daring him to step any closer- he felt naked without the protection of his leather. The static clings far too thickly to cotton clothing.  
  


He shakes off the nerves burning through him and lightly calls out. “Ryuji..?” The crackling bursts for a second and the sound of frantic movement, startled flappings of wings and the  _ biggest smile he’s ever seen _ all seem to happen in the span of seconds. Before he knows it he’s wrapped up in a hug again, and he’s almost dropped the pot of food.  
  


“ _ A-Akira?! Is it really you?!” _ Ryuji paws at his face and only seems to light up when he realises that is  _ is him _ and that he has most certainly come back. “ _ Geez man I wasn’t sure if I was ever gonna see you again, and here you are and  _ **_oh my God is that food?_ ** ” Akira tentatively hands out the jar to the Dragon, nodding slowly.  
  


“It’s curry.” Ryuji’s eyes sparkle as he takes the container and promptly begins to shove it down his mouth. Akira laughs and pockets the spoon- definitely won’t be needing  _ that _ any time soon. The way Ryuji seemed to purr and wiggle over the curry was definitely enough to cause his heart to flutter again in the weirdest way, and when Ryuji looks over at him and seems to flush with embarrassment, apologising to him-  
  


His stomach all but flips.   
  


“I remembered you saying how you were lonely so…” Akira takes a seat next to the Dragon, surprised as his tail instinctively curls around him. “I came to visit.” Ryuji’s shoulders slump a little bit, as though a realisation dawns on him and before he can react, Ryuji’s arms are already around him. Holding him softly and lightly squeezing, as though the contact was enough to somehow telepathically tell him how much it meant to him. The hunter returns the soft hug, and the Dragon seems to purr.  
  


“ _ Thanks… _ ” The word is soft and purred into his ear as they relax into each other. “ _ I’ve… I’ve been thinkin’... _ ” Ryuji starts, pulling back a little and letting his wings droop. “ _ Maybe I should move away or somethin’, then you wouldn’t have to follow your uh, contract or anythin’ and the village can be left unbothered, it’d be j-just easier for y’as a whole and-- _ ” Akira’s hand finds its way over Ryuji’s mouth before he can stop it, his eyebrows knitting together and the words not quite coming out of his mouth right. It takes him a moment to regain his composure, hand slipping off Ryuji’s mouth.   
  


“I don’t want you to leave.” He whispers. “I’ll find a way to get them off your back. I just wished they all knew how you weren’t some kind of evil monster out to fry the village.” He’s taken aback when Ryuji nudges his nose against his cheek- almost falling backwards in the process as the wings lift up to curl around them.  
  


“ _Maybe I’m stupid for suggestin’ this and- just hear me out alright?_ ” The Dragon’s claws lightly rest over Akira’s hand, as though trusting him with some kind of deep secret. “ _What if we left… together?_ _D-don’t get me wrong I love this place, we’ve both grown up here and I’d like to stay but it just seems to be stressin’ you out and even though I’ve only known you for a li’l bit if anythin’ happened to you, shit man, I’d probably kill everyone down there and then myself, y’know?_ ” Ryuji had a strange way of rambling when he was unsure of something, it was like a nervous tic, and though it wasn’t annoying per se… Ryuji’s long-winded explanations often left Akira struggling to say anything in return.  
  


“Wouldn’t that just be running away from the problem?” The Dragon’s expression sours a little, not pleased with the response. “I’d like to, honest, but we haven’t known each other long and for all I know you could be whisking me away to eat me.” Akira jokes, a soft smile playing on his lips in an attempt to lighten the mood. Ryuji half-smiles in return before frowning and groaning loudly, flopping down onto the floor.   
  


“ _ That effin’ bastard, if only he hadn’t issued a death-sentence over my head we wouldn’t be having to think of this shit!” _ The annoyance in the others voice was obvious, it wouldn’t surprise Akira if the village had heard it even from all the way up here. He looks up from his spot on the ground and up at Akira, their eyes locking for a moment before Ryuji relents. “ _ This is so difficult, ‘kira… _ ” It was the first time Ryuji had said his name.  
  


“Life has no easy solutions, Ryuji.” He perks up a little, surprise addressing his features as he says his name- he’d only replied in kind and yet the half-kin seemed almost elated at his name being spoken.   
  


“ _ Man, human tongue is weird… but I like it when you speak it. _ ”   
  


“I’ll take that as a compliment.”  
  


They sit in silence for a little bit, only the sounds of Ryuji scooting a little closer and the gentle scratching of claws against rock. His hand is raised and despite the look of confusion on Akira’s face, the soft tickling sensation of a tongue lapping over his hand causes him to realise that his earlier motion had smeared curry on his palm. Ryuji was certainly a messy eater if he was anything. The scratching of Ryuji’s other claw stops as he lets go of Akira’s hand, resuming into deep thought as he licks his lips. The slobber is wiped off idly against his leg and the other suddenly turns to face him, a pained look in his expression that’s soon swept away the moment he starts talking.   
  


“ _ Why don’t you pretend to kill me..? _ ” He suggests, his voice shaking a little as Akira stares at him. The Dragon reconsiders “ _ N-Nah it’s a dumb idea, like you said they’d just come lookin’ for me and findin’ me here would get you banished or somethin’. _ ”  
  


“...What if you weren’t here?” Ryuji looks hurt. “Not like that, sorry. I mean what if I pretend to and you,” he pauses, really thinking his next words through with exceptional care. There was plenty of space in his house for the Dragon. Nobody ever really came to visit aside from those who came with the carriages, letters were used for summoning and so long as Ryuji stayed indoors… no it would be too cruel to coop the Dragon inside. “No, nevermind.”  
  


“ _ No, tell me. We might as well go through all the options, right? _ ” He held a valid point.   
  


“I was thinking maybe you could live with me for a bit. If they check the cave and nobody’s here, maybe they’ll really think you’re gone.” The electricity fills the air once more, crackling and tingling along his flesh. Ryuji snaps his fingers.  
  


“ _ What if after the next storm I make it look like I’m flying away? I’ll come to your house afterwards and people might just think I’ve gone! That way you don’t gotta need to pretend to kill me!” _ Ryuji grins like it’s the best possible idea they could’ve had, and honestly it might just work, aside from one little problem.  
  


“That might work… if people were watching. Most people head indoors and pray.” They deflate at the same time and the Dragon starts to chew the inside of his lip. It would’ve been a great plan otherwise, and it’s dawning on Akira just how little time he has to devise a plan to keep Ryuji safe. Akira jumps as the cave seems to rattle, Ryuji’s fist had slammed onto the ground with great force, leaving a crack in its wake as the annoyance finally gets to him. A growl sounds out and the electricity only seems to worsen.  
  


“Ryuji?” The electric calms a little, “It’s okay. We’ll figure something out.” The words seemed to be enough to calm the wrath of the one next to him, even if the tip of his tail seemed to flick with residual annoyance. Akira makes a promise to return to him someday soon. “I’ll think on it a little more, don’t worry, I’ll be back.” Though the other seemed upset to see him go, they share one last hug, Ryuji thanks him for the food, and Akira’s already on his way back out.  
  


Several days passed since then. The soft buzz of the scale only reminding him of his need to save the Dragon cooped up in the cave, the storm was due in a few days and it occurs to him that he never actually told Ryuji he had a time limit on this, nor did he remember to ask Ryuji why he flew out in storms- the easy answer was that they usually had lightning, and he was an electricity dragon, but maybe Ryuji had another reason… maybe he was just wishfully thinking.  
  


He goes out into the village to purchase some supplies- it would seem strange if he didn’t get anything on his quest. The villagers would offer to discount the items for him, eager for the dragon to be taken down, hailing him as a hero already for being brave enough to solve their problem. Ryuji was hardly a problem, and though Akira could understand where the fear came from, he couldn’t help but feel like the townspeople were overestimating the overgrown lizard boy.   
  


Akira purchases a new blade, some foodstuffs, a blanket, and a new animal skin container to place in water for his journey in the caves. They all wished him luck, they all held such high hopes, and he was torn between wanting to fulfil those wishes to keep them safe, and wanting to hide Ryuji to himself.  
  


His heart flutters at the thought, and he quickly pushes it down to smile at the woman handing him a handkerchief. She says it’s for good luck, and he’s never needed it more.

 

\--

It’s not until the evening of the following day that he goes to explore the caves once more, his stomach clenching with nerves as the static of the area clings to him. He has to remind himself again that Ryuji isn’t going to harm him again, that the Dragon would be more than ecstatic to see him.   
  


He turns the corner to Ryuji’s room, the soft breathing calming his nerves as he calls out to the other. The Dragon nearly yells in excitement, runs over to him, pulls him into a tighter embrace than normal and whispers- “ _ I’ve missed you so much. _ ” It’s a strange feeling welling inside of him, the feeling of belonging and love. The feeling of being  _ home _ .  
  


The clattering of  _ something _ outside causes them both to hold their breath. Parting from their embrace he motions to the Dragon to stand back. “Hide.” He whispers, and Ryuji’s about to protest when a voice rings out.  
  


“We know you’re in here,  _ Beast. _ ” Akira freezes slightly. “If you want to be given a kindly death, you’ll come out sooner rather than later.” It was way too fast of a response for any guards to be present, he still had at least two days before the storm arrived, so nobody should be here. Everyone would be in fear of their lives, and Akira’s brain struggled to scramble to find anybody who was suicidal enough to come to the hiding place of the beast they all feared so much.  
  


It was only when Akira peeks out from the darkness that he notices the light glimmer of a blade and the pronounced features of their king, that everything clicks into place. Of course. The King didn’t wish to lose his life, naturally, but if he killed the Dragon he would be hailed greatly for it, and if he were slain, no doubt the dragon would be killed by the townspeople and the many guards in the palace out of revenge. Either way he would be hailed a hero for his actions. The thought twisted his stomach.  
  


He inhales softly, and exhales through his nose to calm himself and steel his nerves.  
  


“There is no beast here.” Akira calls out, making himself known, much to Ryuji’s chagrin. The King seems surprised but tells the figures behind him to stand down for the moment. Akira recognises them as knights, protectors of the king. No doubt here to ambush or assist the King in killing the Dragon within. “Apologies if I startled you, Your Highness, I was merely scouting the area for any clues to the beast’s whereabouts.” He bows, his lie carefully hidden behind layers of calm exterior.  
  


“Well, since you’re here,” the King starts, making a gesture for him to rise from his bow. “You can show me how far you’ve progressed.” His gut twists but doesn’t allow the stone mask on his face to move, merely nodding. His mind reels through all the possible ways he could deter the King and his men from entering Ryuji’s bedroom, he was coming up totally blank.  
  


“Of course, your Highness. Though I will tell you that there is little within here.” He could feel the glare of Ryuji on his back and sorely wishes that he could tell him that he’s doing it for his own safety, that they would be better off taking the men down together, that there was no need to be afraid.  _ He will protect you. _ Akira turns on his heel to walk away, only for a sharp pain to stab into his side, a loud hiss escaping him as he plummets onto one knee.

“W-what?” Is all he can manage as a boot kicks him from behind and steps onto his back preventing him from standing. He squirms, only for his side to scream in pain. “What are you doing!?” The boot slams down onto his back, winding him and causing his lungs to burn for air. He chokes and sputters on the floor, incapable of movement- and apparently of words.  
  


“You think we’ve only just got here, hm?” the heel digs into his back, the cool feeling of the blade at his neck. “That we didn’t know of your little trip to the Mountain tops? The hugs? The plans of escape?” the King tuts at him, as though chiding a child. “Here I was concerned that you may require backup to slay this creature, and here you are making  _ friends _ with it. That won’t do, that won’t do at all.”   
  


He feels the electricity in the air, sparkling through the blade of the sword, standing the hairs up on his neck. “Oh, right, your friend controls electricity, doesn’t it?” the King chuckles, the guard’s hand is steady as he tickles the back of his neck with the residual static. “If it strikes, it’ll pass down the blade and electrocute you until you’re perfectly crispy.” Akira’s hand balls up, it all seems far too hopeless. In any other scenario he may have escaped, he had let his guard down in favour of securing escape for Ryuji, and now he was going to get his friend killed.  
  


All he can do is watch forward, and hope that Ryuji doesn’t fall for the bait.   
  


His heart sinks as yellow eyes glimmer at them in the darkness, and he begs him quietly to go back into hiding, to not worry about him. The boot crushes into his back again and he’s forced to inhale raspily, it’s hard to breathe.  
  


“ _ Let. Him. Go. _ ” The voice, deep and growled, familiar and  _ angry _ fills the cave, bouncing off the walls as the electricity in the room perks up, the blade glows and sparks with increasing intensity as Ryuji gets more and more annoyed. Akira’s heart races in his chest, partially with nervous energy and partially to try and get blood around his body. The King inhales, about to talk, when the whole cave lights up with sheer energy.  
  


White bounces off of the blade and through his body, stinging through him but not  _ hurting _ , travelling up the boot on his back and causing screams to overtake the sound of frying skin, it smelled awful, bile rises to the back of Akira’s throat and before the King can unsheathe his sword, he’s already on the ground- teeth and claws burying themselves into the soft flesh of his chest, blood pools out of his body as the King attempts to use his hands to push Ryuji off him. Muscle is easily carved out, and Ryuji’s head dives down, his face elongating and forming a snout, his wings gaining width, his claws grow sharper and the last thing Akira witnesses is Ryuji’s pointed teeth tearing through lukewarm flesh before he faints.

 

\--

When Akira wakes up, he’s wrapped in a blanket and there’s a cold towel on his forehead. He attempts to sit up but the pain in his chest prevents him from doing anything more than just breathing.   
  


“So you’re finally awake.” He recognises that as the voice of the local doctor. She was an expert at the very least, and more often than not made him feel safe- this time though, he couldn’t stop the ache within his chest, the pangs of worry, the knotting of anxiety as his mind flashes the brutal execution of the King before his eyes. The town would no doubt be up in arms within a few days at most, he would be found at the entrance of the cave, they would all go after Ryuji.  
  


He had to warn him, he had to get him to safety, he had--  _ ow _ . “Yeah you won’t be moving for a while, nice try though.” She smirks at him, though it’s light-hearted and filled with a gentle concern. “If you’re wondering how you got here, or about your friend,” his attention piques, he looks at her with a pleading expression,  _ don’t tell him they harmed him, _ “it’s okay, he came down covered in blood and the town  _ almost _ ran away until he started begging and sobbing for somebody to help you.”   
  


“Whe--” He inhales sharply, God, even talking hurt. She gives him a sympathetic look.  
  


“He’s taking a nap in waiting area. We managed to clean him up so he didn’t look so macabre, but you were pretty badly beaten up. He hasn’t spoken since he got here.” She mixes some herbs into some water and hands it to him, carefully helping him sit up despite the pain so he could ingest it. The herbs were spicy and sweet, easing the pain through his chest and letting him breathe.   
  


“C-Can I see him…?” Akira manages to get out, and she gives him an incredulous look, the type that screams:  _ you’re injured beyond all belief, may never be capable of breathing properly ever again and you want to see the guy who basically got you put into this state in the first place? _ But she simply nods and goes to get Ryuji.  
  


It’s no surprise the first thing he feels is the shooting pain of Ryuji clinging to him until the Doctor thoroughly  _ thwacks _ him on the back of his head- “His chest is injured, don’t injure it more.” Ryuji apologises and lets go.  
  


“ _ God it’s so good to see you awake I-- geez man, I never thought- I thought, God. What if you never woke up Akira? I don’t know what I would’ve done. _ ” Ryuji’s eyes water and Akira’s hand immediately touches to the lightly scaled cheek, softly rubbing his thumb over Ryuji’s cheekbone and smiling at him softly. Static runs down his arm, standing his hairs on end and the thought of the sheer amount of power the Dragon displayed was nothing short of devastating.  
  


“H-hey, Ry-uji…?” He squints a little, face twisting into confusion as Ryuji nods at him, fully giving him his full attention. “How… did I not get… fried?” It still hurt to speak, as good as the medicine was, and as good as the magic of the Doctor was, it wouldn’t be enough to fully numb the pain. Ryuji gingerly taps one of his scales, and for a moment Akira tilts his head in confusion.  
  


“ _ The scale I gave you. Dragon scales are worth a lot because of their magical properties. I-If you had killed me, no doubt that effin’ asshole would’ve sold every scale on my body. _ ” Ryuji shudders. “ _ Y-yeah it, absorbed a lot of the electricity running through you, it’s the only reason I even tried it… I knew you had it. _ ” Akira’s relief shows- so that’s why Ryuji gave him the scale, it was a failsafe in case he needed to actually use his power. To protect him- and here he was thinking it was the other way around. He feels the calloused underside of Ryuji’s hand against the top of his own, like he wanted some sort of reassurance that Akira was actually alive and awake. It’s all Akira can do to flip his hand to hold Ryuji’s.  
  


The smile on the Dragons face hadn’t left his mind since.

 

\--  
  


Using one of Ryuji’s scales and the Doctor’s own magic, they had managed to concoct a remedy that would mend his chest and at least get him out of the hospital bed- it wasn’t a total cure-all due to the nature of the scale used, but it was an effective enough potion and Akira wasn’t going to complain.   
  


Ryuji had been much more affectionate since then, curling up around him whenever they slept, making sure that he stayed fed and well-hydrated, the news of the kings death had reached the town not long after he had healed and the Doctor had all but kicked them out of the clinic-- the first time Akira had seen Ryuji transform properly was to hoist him onto his back and fly over to the next town to escape the inevitable hoard of people wanting to slaughter them both.  
  


They had stopped carriages on their way, meeting up with old friends. Yusuke, a travelling painter, encaptured by Ryuji’s stunning scales and  _ demanding _ to have them be painted. It was the longest day of Ryuji’s life, laid down lazily as the painter copies the perfect shimmer of the scales in vivid detail, matching the strikes of white and even creating a duplicate for their own travels- albeit it was smaller, but still as stunning as the larger one. Yusuke thanks them for their time, and Akira laughs shakily at Ryuji’s soft fawning over how pretty Yusuke made his scales (and how they’re manlier than Yusuke would ever know, and how he should be feared, not fawned over).   
  


Ann and Shiho had been next, performers making their way through small towns and larger settlements to perform before Kings and Queens, and of course robbing them all blind in the process. Ann’s stunning movements had nearly hypnotised Ryuji, and Akira had to remind her to be nice to the poor recluse. Shiho apologises for Ann’s behaviours, and Ann chides her girlfriend for giving away their secrets- it would’ve been a perfect opportunity to get one of his scales. The day is spent talking of their travels and the girls begging for Ryuji to keep his shedded skin so they could use it in their costumes.  _ Kind of gross but okay.  
  
_

Makoto and her sister, Sae, had been a particularly brief visit, mostly just so Akira could inform them of the falling of the King, and the fact that he’d been ambushed and attacked in a cave. They had a skeptical look on their faces but they assured him they’d investigate into it, and with that said and done they politely excused each other and Ryuji promptly clung to Akira the moment he’d come back out of their home.   
  


Mishima had been a passerby on their travels, talking about how he was absolutely going to write about this dragon-boy in papers for years to come, and even as they attempted to convince him otherwise, it appears his mind had already been set. He was already writing a letter to Yusuke to ask him if he wouldn’t mind painting that scale picture for him on a smaller scale so he could attach it to the nearby news board. Akira had to stop Ryuji from frying the boy on the spot, and as they waved their goodbyes, Ryuji expresses how it’s going to suck that everyone’s gonna know him as a half-dragon.  
  


It takes a month before they find somewhere quiet to settle down. Ryuji had picked a nice cave to nest in, and Akira had joined him for the night. They were exhausted from their travels, Akechi being to blame for that. The guy was nice and all but he didn’t have a problem with talking your ears off, and had a way of riling up Ryuji to the point Akira had to essentially pardon them preemptively before Ryuji ended up on his ‘next to fry’ list.   
  


“ _ Hey, Akira. _ ” The Dragon says, flitting his eyes away and playing with his fingers. Akira shoots him a look and nods to encourage him to continue speaking. “ _ I, uh… here, have this. _ ” Ryuji procures a round object out of his pouch- they didn’t have much time to grab any of their belongings before the townsfolk essentially banished them, and between Akira’s injuries and Ryuji’s haste, many things were left behind.   
  


Upon closer inspection, it appeared to be a tennis ball. He tosses it up and down in his hands for a moment before looking at Ryuji and inclining his head. “What’s this for?” His voice is softer than normal, and Ryuji’s tail wraps around himself as his wings curl in, a sign that he’s a little embarrassed.  
  


“ _ It’s a tennis ball, my mom found one some day and we used to uh, toss it between us in the sky. It really helped my reflexes and I’ve been hoarding them ever since. _ ” It was common for Dragons to hoard things that were special to them. Shiny things, specific textured objects, wood, and in Ryuji’s case he supposes it was tennis balls… and shoes. He remembers Ryuji taking his shoes a lot. Out of all the tennis balls Ryuji had shown to him, the one that he had remained the most pristine out of all of them, as though this one had been specifically selected for him--  
  


_ Ah _ .  
  


A blush coats his cheeks as they curl up for the night, the realisation dawned on him all at once. He remembers skimming past these behaviours in his study sessions, back when he was befriending Ryuji and wanted to know more about dragons so he could better care for him.   
  


_ Dragons will often give the best looking item in their hoard: be it their shiniest, largest gem, or their sharpest looking stone, to the object of their affections.  
  
_

He smiles and holds the tennis ball close to his chest, looking at Ryuji lazily trying to stay awake. He catches the dragon-kin’s eye and smiles at him, hooking their hands together to wake him up a little more. “Hey, Ryuji..?” Ryuji perks up a little, raising his head off of his arm to rest his cheek on the palm of his hand.   
  


“I love it.” He presses the tennis ball to his cheek, and as Ryuji’s eyes widen and the sparks fly around the room, the dragon essentially becoming a living sparkler and sending pleasant signals all the way up his arm.   
  


It’s no surprise when Ryuji curls up a little closer, nuzzling their faces together and wrapping his wings around Akira’s entire frame, resting their foreheads together. “ _ Y’mean it..? _ ” His voice was the softest he’d ever heard it, as if tentatively spoken, like if he were to speak any louder it would shatter any hopes of Akira liking the gift. It’s all Akira can do to nod and smile at the Dragon boy-  
  


At  _ his _ Dragon boy.   
  


Ryuji cheeks come to nuzzle against Akira’s once more, soft tongue lapping over his face and causing Akira to laugh- it tickles slightly- but this is totally normal behaviour for Dragons. A purr bubbles in Ryuji’s throat, the soft rumbling spreading even through him as the Dragon essentially grooms him. A long and happy sigh exhales from Ryuji as Akira tugs him closer to press a soft kiss to his lips- it’s foreign to him, dragons were all tongues and body language, but it’s his own fault for falling in love with a human to begin with.  
  


“I’m happy to be your mate.” Akira bumps foreheads and wraps his arms around the Dragon boy, and it’s all Ryuji can do to not burst sparks and electrocute literally anything in the near vicinity. The Dragon’s eyes seemed to shimmer with excitement, a whole new future already planned meticulously within his mind before it calms and the Dragon speaks once more, his tone hushed and soft.  
  
“ _ I’m happy you’ve accepted me… _ ” The sparks die down but never fade, static hangs in the air as Ryuji lays down, his mate in his arms and his wings nestled around him. Akira’s head laying on his chest as they murmur their goodnights, and the darkness sweeps them away into slumber.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm still upset that it's not 9k words but there's only so much I can write.
> 
> One of these days I'm going to write a fic where Ryuji says Fuck. Just once. #LetRyujiSayFuck
> 
> I hope you enjoyed my take on this AU. Feedback is always appreciated, and kudos warms my heart <3


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